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Saturday, December 3, 2016

Descent into Paganism

The collapse of the Roman Empire was considered by early doctors to be one of the precursors of the end times, usually paired with the preaching of the Gospel to the whole world. The recent catechism mentions only the eventual conversion of the Hebrew people to Christ as a prerequisite for the Final Judgment, for whatever that’s worth. The destruction of Rome as an eschatological sign has been reinterpreted variously throughout the Christian age, especially after the Empire had long vanished into disuse. Dr. Christopher Malloy observes how John Henry Newman approached the paradox that the fall of Rome must yet be future if it is to be a sure sign of the Antichrist’s coming:

Newman notes that whereas in some respects Rome has fallen, in other respects Rome has not fallen. Rome is not simply the old Empire. Rome is, perhaps the rule of law, European civilization, etc. These are still with us. So long as we do not seriously embrace the denial of the Principle of Non-contradiction. So long as we still retain key fragments of the natural law. But these things are crashing down around us.

Imperial Rome then becomes interpreted as the best of pagan philosophy and statesmanship, the legacy of Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and Caesar. When the Christian religion loses its influence, the world begins to fall back upon the best of paganism, or Classicism. But when the Classical world begins to lose its luster, the world will begin (it is also claimed) to fall back into the darkness of pre-classical paganism, the darkness of polytheism, the worship of demons, outright idolatry, and various vicious rites.

Christendom rose in the world like a high tide, and just as it seemed like it would flood the earth in its entirety, it began to recede, leaving the landscape reshaped but with some old landmarks still intact. It is reminiscent of Hunter S. Thompson’s nostalgic reflection on the failure of the sexual revolution of the ’60s: “With the right kind of eyes you can almost see the High Water Mark, that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back.”

The reversal of Christian influence does not and probably can not directly mirror the rise of that influence. As the cultural West especially sheds its Christian past piece by piece, it does not exactly take up the pre-Christian world as it was. The Renaissance was pitched as a return to the “Golden Age of Greece and Rome,” but it was that only superficially. The bulk of political movements in recent centuries have occurred rather under the banner of Progress, and any political returns to paganism have been largely unintentional. People wish to be thought of as forward-thinking rather than championing any past golden age.

The rise of Neo-Paganism in America and Europe also bears little resemblance to the pagan religions as they existed before Christian conversion. The creation of temples to Odin and Thor come with the disclaimer that these gods are only archetypes of the collective human subconscious. Similarly, practicing Satanists disclaim any belief in the Devil as a real person or entity, preferring to describe him as as symbol of mankind’s darker urges. These polytheists and demon worshippers are still too cowardly to sacrifice oxen and doves to their gods.

But the state of Roman pagan religion was much the same just before the influence of the Church took hold. The Stoics held sway with the intelligentsia, and they argued that the Olympian gods were only real in the sense that they embodied aspects of the singular, unknowable deity. They were practical deists while allowing polytheism for the masses, just as the American Founding Fathers were deists masquerading as Protestant Christians. The Neo-Pagans of today are atheists using polytheism as a masque for the Collective Subconscious.

Will the widespread revival of unfeigned Odin-worship, Jupiter-worship, and Satan-worship ever occur? There are pockets of sincere polytheism here and there, but masqueraded atheism still holds sway for the majority of so-called pagans and witches (as it does for many so-called Christians). My suspicion is that sincere paganism will in fact rise as people go through the mere motions of idolatrous religion, but begin to see actual results. The devils who posed as gods in ages past will be allowed to work wonders for their new worshippers, and the revival of paganism will open the pits of true demonic darkness.

When grave persons express their fear that England is relapsing into Paganism, I am tempted to reply, “Would that she were.” For I do not think it at all likely that we shall ever see Parliament opened by the slaughtering of a garlanded white bull in the House of Lords or Cabinet Ministers leaving sandwiches in Hyde Park as an offering for the Dryads. If such a state of affairs came about, then the Christian apologist would have something to work on. For a Pagan, as history shows, is a man eminently convertible to Christianity. He is essentially the pre-Christian, or sub-Christian, religious man. The post-Christian man of our day differs from him as much as a divorcée differs from a virgin. (C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock)

20 comments:

So long as we do not seriously embrace the denial of the Principle of Non-contradiction.

Does an Ecumenical Council count as serious?

DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH

LUMEN GENTIUMSOLEMNLY PROMULGATED BY HIS HOLINESSPOPE PAUL VI

ON NOVEMBER 21, 1964

22. Just as in the Gospel, the Lord so disposing, St. Peter and the other apostles constitute one apostolic college, so in a similar way the Roman Pontiff, the successor of Peter, and the bishops, the successors of the apostles, are joined together. Indeed, the very ancient practice whereby bishops duly established in all parts of the world were in communion with one another and with the Bishop of Rome in a bond of unity, charity and peace,(23*) and also the councils assembled together,(24*) in which more profound issues were settled in common, (25*) the opinion of the many having been prudently considered,(26*) both of these factors are already an indication of the collegiate character and aspect of the Episcopal order; and the ecumenical councils held in the course of centuries are also manifest proof of that same character. And it is intimated also in the practice, introduced in ancient times, of summoning several bishops to take part in the elevation of the newly elected to the ministry of the high priesthood. Hence, one is constituted a member of the Episcopal body in virtue of sacramental consecration and hierarchical communion with the head and members of the body.

But the college or body of bishops has no authority unless it is understood together with the Roman Pontiff, the successor of Peter as its head. The pope's power of primacy over all, both pastors and faithful, remains whole and intact. In virtue of his office, that is Vicar of Christ and pastor of the whole Church, the Roman Pontiff has full, supreme and universal power over the Church. And he is always free to exercise this power. The order of bishops, which succeeds to the college of apostles and gives this apostolic body continued existence,is also the subject of supreme and full power over the universal Church,

++++++++++ end quotes++++++++++++

Back in the day, in the Peimonte area of Vermont where ABS was born, the old timers would have said about the claim - We need this like a frog needs sideburns.

How'n'hell can an Ecumenical Council identify two different subjects as both being Supreme?

It realistically can't for such a claim is contradictory as two subjects can not both be supreme and, as such, this novel doctrine violates the principle of Non-Contradiction

That's not the worst crime of Lumen Gentium. I, for one, believe that the erroneous idea of the "almighty Pope" promulgated by Ultramontanists after V1 should be shot down in very clear language at a future council. The Roman bishopric will one day be returned to its true status as the 'Primus Inter Pares'... one day.

The true heresy of 'Lumen Gentium' is the line that the Muslims, who denounce the idea of a Trinitarian God, worship "the same God" as we do. 42 Martyrs of Ammorium, Pray for us!

Can we agree to never have a council in the Vatican again? Nothing good has ever come of either one.

I have posted on this before and I whole-heartedly agree with CS Lewis. The old pagans had imagination, a sense of what should be (albeit distorted), a realization that there were things greater than them in the world.

Modern man is an idiot child believing he is too "grown up" to imagine, to "rational" to pray, too "practical" to make art or anything beyond profit, and too single-minded to build anything but concrete rectangles.

I sometimes wish the world would go back to pagans dancing in the forest and worshipping gods that may be devils or a "Great Spirit" that is their best attempt to understand God. Modern society just brings to mind that classic line from Ecclesiasticus... "Vanity of Vanities, all is vanity."

primus inter pares is a specific heresy of the heretical and schismatic east and which heresy can be clearly seen in the light of the decision of Jesus Christ to give the Keys to Peter alone.

Now, the funny thing is about that claim from there seedbed of heresies is their long documented history of a papal primacy praxis witnessing against that but that should be addressed on a thread devoted to the many errors/heresies of those poor deluded souls.

Jesus also raised the dead, healed on the Sabbath, told the Messias-Deniers their father was Satan, etc etc etc all of which, like your response, had not one thing to do with Papal Primacy and the truth that Jesus only gave the Keys to Peter.

Have at it as you will, there is nothing to argue about- there is only the denial of the truth that you seem to embrace which and which heresy is a propagandistic eisegesis of Matt 16:18,19 that any trad worth his salt will immediately reject out out of hand.

I would not ordinarily respond to you, but I have noticed that your posts as of late have become increasingly hostile and... condescending in an angry childish/juvenile way. May I recommend that you separate yourself from the internet a bit this fasting season and take up something to relax your mind? I recommend pipe smoking personally.

Oh, and we in the "heretical east" do NOT reject Papal Primacy. We reject the wrong-headed, heretical, ultramontanist idea of Papal Supremacy. 'Primus Inter Pares' is always what the bishop of Rome has been. You can't have an ecumenical council without him and you are fully free to even outright defy or depose him under the right circumstances.

E.V. It is disappointing to read such a response to a biblical quote and the response suggests psychological projection, however, love and respect for Rad Trad (who does not appreciate fractious exchanges) kills my natural desire to engage and so I will just post a link to the fine work of Brother Eliot whose compilation will convince the most rational of men that the east (seedbed of heresies and iconoclasm) has always acknowledged the primacy of Peter and his successors despite modern polemics to the contrary.

Need it be noted that first among equals while quaint, is a slogan liberated from rationality?

Christ broke paganism as such. Anything following Him is superficial or idols of things like money and sex. And our opposition to slavery is what really keeps us from descending into Roman sexual mores in toto.

The rise of Neo-Paganism in America and Europe also bears little resemblance to the pagan religions as they existed before Christian conversion. The creation of temples to Odin and Thor come with the disclaimer that these gods are only archetypes of the collective human subconscious. Similarly, practicing Satanists disclaim any belief in the Devil as a real person or entity, preferring to describe him as as symbol of mankind’s darker urges. These polytheists and demon worshippers are still too cowardly to sacrifice oxen and doves to their gods.

An old friend once observed that the neo-pagans are just apostate Christians play-acting; Christian ethics minus Christ (which is what political correctness is). Real pagans (making blood sacrifices to gods they believe in) would see them as fake.

There are fewer apostate Christians as time goes on. With the growing disdain of valid baptisms among Protestants, and the occasional carelessness about it among Catholics, the unwashed masses are on the rise. I often suspect that only those without the indelible mark of baptism can be truly fooled by the idolatry of polytheism.

In fact, it was realising the elite's involvement in the demonic that, in part, inspired my conversion. I grew up without any religion. I stopped looking into the occult stuff when I started to experience paranoia at night, and sleep paralysis. I think I benefited from it on the whole though. When I was young I remember struggling to calculate how a man could do something evil enough to merit an everlasting punishment. Ever since, I've been positively glad that there is a hell, and I'm now able to sympathise with all the expression of righteous anger in the scriptures.

I had not heard about the Moloch reference, but having just now read it, I cannot think it is meant to be anything but a sarcastic joke about superstition (compared to crossing one's fingers and carrying a lucky rabbit's foot). Still, it is pretty gruesome and in very poor taste, and possibly a Freudian slip about infanticide-related guilt.

Yes, my claim that elite members of society are involved in devil-worship doesn't rest on that particular email, but more on the kind of thing shown in that video you posted above, things like pedophile networks, Bohemian Grove, satanic ritual abuse, demonic imagery / occult symbols in popular media. But really, on their political actions which are no doubt demonically inspired.